The Football Association will take no further action against Manchester City's Joey Barton after his tackle which injured Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes in the game at Fratton Park 11 days ago and complaints from Pompey fans that he had made offensive gestures.

The FA contacted Hampshire police after the constabulary issued a statement that something "of concern" had occurred at the end of the match but an FA spokesman said: "From the investigations we have made and the information received there is not enough evidence to proceed with any action against Joey Barton."

The verdict will not please the Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp, who claimed Barton had deliberately stamped on Mendes. Redknapp's protestations to the referee, Mike Dean, have landed him with an FA charge of verbally abusing a match official and he has until Monday to request a personal hearing.

The West Ham chairman, Eggert Magnusson, has given his "100% backing" to the manager, Alan Curbishley, and insisted there is no deadline for him to turn the club around. The Icelandic businessman has been infuriated by reports he has given Curbishley three matches to get the Hammers back on the winning track. West Ham have won once in 10 Premiership games since Curbishley replaced Alan Pardew but Magnusson is adamant he has the right man for the job.

"To put the record straight, Alan has my 100% backing," he said. "He has had it since day one and he has it going forward. He is the right man for this job and he will take us through this difficult stage. Talk of a three-game deadline is nonsense. I hope that Alan is here for the long-term."

Bolton have signed the former Spain defender César. The 29-year-old is able to move outside the transfer window after having his contract at Levante cancelled.

The United States has emerged as a rival to England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup. "We showed in 1994 that we are capable of hosting a terrific event," the United States Soccer Federation president, Sunil Gulati, said. "Now, with the way the soccer landscape in this country has evolved, we would be able to put on a spectacular event. We're much more a part of the sport internationally now."

A nationwide fans' group has launched an online petition to protest against ticket prices. With a growing number of Premiership clubs slashing ticket prices to try to attract higher gates, the Football Supporters' Federation, which claims to represent 140,000 members in England and Wales, has issued a three-point directive - which includes an away fans' ticket price of no more than £15 - that they believe all top flight clubs should follow.